Monday, August 22, 2016

Lately I've been on the lookout for interesting quilt ideas that I may use for my "comfort quilts" (as I've been calling them, for lack of a better name). Not too complicated, fun to make, easy to love. I found such a pattern in Betsy Chutchian's recent book:

The book features eight quilts and gives directions for each in three different sizes: bed, lap, and mini. FYI for those of you small quilt lovers, the minis are incredible!

This is the one I chose to make:

The first thing I thought of when I saw this quilt was "I could make that" by which I mean, I could make it 100% out of my stash. Not only that, but I could utilize some underused colors, such as pinks and yellow/golds. I like that its all 19th century repros, but colorful and modern at the same time.

The second thing I thought of was, I already have the perfect backing fabric:

This has been languishing in my stash for years, waiting for "just the right quilt" .. heheh... do you know what I mean? Not a repro, but who cares?

Making this quilt was so easy and so fun! I used the above as my focus fabric, and pulled about twenty fabrics for the rectangles (I hesitate to call them blocks).

Here it is with the body sewn together, before trimming and adding the
borders. It did tend to lean toward wonky-ness a bit, due to the edges all
being on the bias, but don't worry, it all resolved in the end :-)

Here it is, construction completed, quilted and bound, and fresh out of the dryer:

I machine quilted it mostly in the ditch, with a 4" grid. I think this particular quilt lends itself better to an all-over stipple, but I'm not brave enough to try that on my home machine. The quilt measures 50x57, a nice size throw, and cheery without looking too juvenile.

This will go to someone in need of comfort. Not sure who yet. Maybe no one I know will get sick for a while. That would be a good thing! But if not to someone I know personally, then it might go to Quilters for Hospice or to the VA.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

I just managed to get a quick shot of this - all quilted up, bound, and washed - before I delivered it to my chiropractor, Cathy, who is currently being treated for breast cancer.

Very basic machine quilting - ITD between blocks, diagonal grid through the blocks, and "petals", "pumpkin seeds", "orange peels", or whatever you want to call them, in the alt. blocks. It probably should have been quilted a little denser for a better crinkle effect, but I think this will be OK.

Meanwhile, my Stars in a Time Warp were nagging at me. So yesterday I started messing around with some layout ideas. Here's a little peek of its current state of being, mostly still un-sewn.

I actually have three more stars to make before I can begin sewing it all together. Then I can start experimenting with some border ideas, a few of which are already brewing in my mind.

And... just for fun, here's a little mini I made over the weekend.

Sometimes you just have to indulge yourself and make a mini. You know what I mean?

Friday, May 20, 2016

A while
ago, I made a couple lap-size quilts which ended up going to two very
ill neighbors of mine. It was lucky I had them on hand, as they were
originally intended to go to the wounded soldiers up at the VA. I
decided then, and from now on, I wanted to have a few tops on hand at
all times, just for when the occasion arises that someone might need a
quilt.

The idea is to have the tops done and backing ready, so all I have to do is machine quilt them etc. and they're ready to go. The sizes vary. The VA requests lap size (36x48) for the patients in wheelchairs. For others, I like to make them larger, but no set dimensions.

I
had just finished this top when my client/friend Melinda came down with
breast cancer. I managed to get it finished and delivered it to her
during the worst part of her chemo. I figured out the pattern from a Pinterest pin, and copied the color scheme as well. Sometimes its just the easiest thing to do.

Part
of my motive is to try to whittle down my stacks of fabrics. I always
seem to have an over abundance of browns, so I played around and came up
with this design, influenced by some antique quilts I've been studying
recently. I think it might be more appropriate for a man? Part of me is tempted to add another border or two and make it into a large throw.

This
one is from the book The Blue and The Gray. This is a very easy pattern,
yet very striking. I increased the size of the blocks a bit, but used fewer of them. This one
also could go to a man.

Yesterday
I found out my chiropractor has breast cancer. I can't believe how many
women I know are coming down with this awful disease! Anyway, this top
is next on my list to layer, quilt and bind, then it will be going to
her.

I was on a roll, so I went ahead and made the
one below for the VA hospital. I rarely make anything with a
"patriotic" theme, but I had just the right amount of the right shades
of blue and red for this, and got to use up some white-on-white that had
been hanging around way too long.

If you look close you may recognize the blue fabric. Its what I bought from Temecula Quilt Co. for the setting blocks of last year's Summer Sampler, which I never made. Yes I bought the block tool and everything, but never made one block. Well I'm glad I found a good use for the blue, anyway.

I'm sure there will be more of these to come, but that's about it for now. Oh one more comfort quilt: look at my last post to see my Sister's Choice quilt. I decided to give it to my client Louise, who is in advanced stages of Parkinson's disease. She is the sweetest person, and I'm so happy to have a quilt to give her.

I do have other projects in the works, but nothing else to show quite yet.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

This is my final version of Cheri Payne's Every Day Patchwork, a sew-a-long from last summer.

Yep, more of the "A" word, rudimentary as it is. I think it needed it, and I didn't suffer too badly for it.

I didn't want heavy quilting on this one, so just did in-the-ditch between the blocks, then went across the blocks with the "hand quilting" stitch on my Janome. I think it came out really
nice.. more effective than my own hand quilting, way faster and easier.

I also finished my Sister's Choice, which is a free pattern from Bonnie Hunter.

I'd like to have had it quilted with an all-over meander, but am not skilled enough to do that myself on my machine, and too cheap to hire it out. I ended up quilting wavy lines on the diagonal, which gives a similar effect, and is much easier to execute.

I don't know about you but I believe the binding can make or break a quilt. I was fortunate to find just enough of this stripe in my stash, and think it frames it nicely and adds a touch of pizzazz.

about me

I started making quilts in the early 1980's, and consider myself a traditionalist. I am mainly a hand quilter, and will keep doing it until my hands give out.
My very first influence was Marsha Mcclosky, who's beautiful chintz and blended quilts I love to this day. Early on I was "liberated" by Gwen Marsden. My favorite quilts are scrappy. The past few years I've been gravitating more and more to old-timey looking quilts and fabrics, including the wonderful reproductions now available. I also love folk art, and Americana.
Meanwhile, I'm in awe of and constantly inspired by some of the beautiful work I am exposed to. I thank all the wonderful artists out there for sharing your inspiration, encouragement, and beauty!